Kojo

Twelve-year-old Kojo Odu is a talented jazz drummer from New York. His father, the jazz saxophonist Antoine Roney, placed him in front of a cardboard drum kit at age two. By six, Kojo had crafted together his own drum. Today, he totally lives for his music—as he describes it, music is life. Instead of going to school, Kojo studies in a virtual classroom, but he feels that he learns much more from traveling across the U.S. with his father. He has an admirable work ethic and gets up every morning at six. The day begins with school followed by tons of practice—good is never good enough. Kojo watches his own live performances on video to see and hear what can be improved. He does all of this because he has a higher goal for his music: he wants to inspire his generation to start thinking in more complex structures.